357 



the viviparous blenny is common on the east coast of Britain, in the 

 Baltic, and along the shores of Scandinavia, but is very seldom found on 

 the south coast of England or the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland. 



Other species of these families living in other parts of the world are also 

 viviparous : on the Pacific coast of North America no less than fifty-one 

 species of Scorpaenidae occur which produce living young. This coast 

 is remarkable above all other parts of the world for the extraordinary 

 number of viviparous species among the fishes which live upon it. In 



FIG. 157. Foetus of an Indian Sting-ray (Pteroplatad) as seen when the uterus is cut 

 open along its dorsal side, the uterine filaments or villi passing on each side into 

 the wide spiracles of the foetus. (After Wood-Mason and Alcock.) A, villi on 

 inner surface of oviduct ; B, longer villi passing into the spiracle ; c, end of the 

 left pectoral fin which is rolled round the body. 



addition to the Scorpaenidae there are a number of species forming the 

 family Embiotocidae, which is confined to the North Pacific Ocean. 

 These fishes live near the shore, and closely resemble the wrasses in 

 habits, appearance, and structure, most of them being brilliantly 

 coloured. 



Another family of bony fishes in which viviparous reproduction 

 takes place is that of the Cyprinodontidae, which are mostly fresh- 

 water fishes closely similar to the carps. Cyprinodontidae signifies 



